Definition
Plural of beadswoman; multiple women employed or hired to recite prayers for others.
Etymology
From beadswoman plus the plural -en. This follows the pattern of woman/women, creating the plural form.
Kelly Says
The plural 'beadswomen' is a linguistic oddity—it combines the female singular 'beadswoman' with the ancient -en plural, making it a doubly archaic and gender-marked word that survives mostly in historical texts.
Translations
ARالعربية
نساء حبات
nɪ.sɑʔ ħa.bat
CSČeština
perlové ženy
pɛr.lo.vɛ ʒɛ.nɨ
DADansk
perlekvinde
pʰɛʁlə.kʰvin.də
DEDeutsch
Perlenfrauen
pɛʁlən.fraʊ.ən
ELΕλληνικά
γυναικες με πέρλες
ɣi.nɛˈkɛs me ˈpɛr.lɛs
ESEspañol
mujeres de cuentas
muˈxɛɾ.es ðe ˈkwentas
FISuomi
helmiainen naiset
hel.mi.ɑi.nen nai.set
FRFrançais
femmes perlières
fɑm pɛʁ.ljɛʁ
HIहिन्दी
मोती महिलाएं
mo.ti ma.hi.lɑ̃
HUMagyar
gyöngyös nők
ɟøɲɟøʃ nøːk
IDBahasa Indonesia
wanita manik
wa.ni.ta ma.nik
ITItaliano
donne perle
dɔn.ne ˈpɛr.le
JA日本語
ビーズの女性たち
bīzu no josei-tachi
KO한국어
구슬 여성들
guseul yeoseong-deul
NLNederlands
parelvrouwen
paː.rəl.vɾɑu.ən
NONorsk
perlekvinne
pæɾlə.kʋin.nə
PLPolski
kobiety perłowe
kɔˈbʲɛ.tɨ pɛr.wɔˈvɛ
PTPortuguês
mulheres de contas
muˈʎɛɾ.ɨs ðɨ ˈkõtɐs
RORomână
femei perle
fɛˈme.je pɛr.le
RUРусский
перлённые женщины
pʲɛrˈlʲon.nɨ.jɛ ʐɛn.ʃʃi.nɨ
SVSvenska
pärlkvinnor
pærl.kvin.nɔr
THไทย
สตรีลูกปัด
sat.lɯk.pàt
TRTürkçe
boncuklu kadınlar
bon.d͡ʒuk.lu ka.dɯn.lar
VITiếng Việt
phụ nữ hạt
fu˧˦ nư˧˧ hət˧˧
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Plural of beadswoman; historically used alongside or instead of the masculine 'beadsmen', but documented beadswomen's equal institutional roles were often subordinated in written records.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'beadspeople' as primary collective term. 'Beadswomen' acceptable when historical female roles are specifically documented.
Inclusive Alternatives
["beadspeople"]
Empowerment Note
Beadswomen held autonomous liturgical authority in many convents and parishes; archival bias has minimized recognition of their institutional power.